IREG-International Observatory on Academic Ranking and Excellence

The International Ranking Expert Group (IREG) created the IREG-International Observatory on Academic Ranking and Excellence

The Observatory, which is first and foremost a partnership of rankings practitioners and academic analysts of rankings, represents a formula for establishing academic ranking as a credible instrument of performance measurement for higher education at the institutional and program levels. It will review the conduct of “academic ranking” and expressions of “academic excellence” for the benefit of higher education stake-holders and the general public. This objective will be achieved by way of:

improving the standards, theory and practice in line with recommendations formulated in the Berlin Principles on Ranking of Higher Education Institutions;

initiating research and training related to ranking excellence;

analyzing the impact of ranking on access, recruitment trends and practices;

analyzing the role of ranking on institutional behavior;

enhancing public awareness and understanding of academic work.

The Observatory will assist ranking bodies by providing them on request with assessments of their standards and practices, and the degree to which they are congruent with the Berlin Principles on Ranking of Higher Education Institutions, a 16-point stands of good practice in academic rankings. Successful ranking will be entities to declare they are “IREG Recognized”.

The idea of continuing the work of IREG in a more structured format was initially discussed at the IREG meeting at the Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China, in October 2007, and it received general support of participants representing major national and international academic rankings and leading analysts. IREG was first formed in 2004 in Washington D.C., USA.

The legal location of the IREG - Observatory is Warsaw, Poland, and temporary secretarial assistance will be provided by the Perspektywy Education Foundation.

The next meeting (IREG-4) will take place from the 15-17 June 2009 in Astana, Kazakhstan, upon invitation of the Independent Kazakhstan Quality Assurance Agency in Education.